Rocky’s knock-out proposal got me my man

But for Rachel Williamson and Jonathan Beeley, from Dronfield, it was made even more memorable by Rocky superstar Sylvester Stallone.

Rachel Williamson and Jonathan Beeley from Dronfield

The couple went to watch the Hollywood legend at the City Hall in Sheffield – and came out of the event engaged.

Teacher Rachel, aged 36, asked Stallone to propose on her behalf to her partner Jonathan, 40.

She said: “Jonathan is the biggest fan of Stallone and I’d got him tickets for the show for Christmas.

“We had talked about getting married. About six months ago when we were watching Rocky I said to Jonathan ‘if Rocky asked you to marry me what would you say?’ He said yes and that is where I got the idea from.

“Jonathan had no clue and I didn’t tell anyone what I was going to do.

“I kept putting my hand up to ask a question, and I was the last to be picked. I said my partner would agree to marry me if Sylvester Stallone asked him, and we were invited on stage.

“He congratulated us, but I told him he must ask him – I wanted him to say the words. Jonathan said yes and everyone clapped. It was a little bit surreal.”

The mother-of-three added: “For Jonathan to meet him was a massive thing. To go was great and he was so funny and so inspirational. Getting engaged just topped things off.”

Other fans who got to meet their idol included Natasha Walker, from Sheffield, who challenged the tough man to an arm wrestle. And superfan Heidi Stobson, from Rugby, flashed her Rocky-inspired tattoo at Stallone after asking him about the inspiration behind his body art.

Following his knockout show, Stallone enjoyed a delicious meal at the new look Nonna’s on Ecclesall Road.

Proprietor Maurizio Mori thought it was a wind-up when he got the call that Stallone was hoping to eat there.

But he soon realised the Nonna’s reopening weekend was about to happen on Ecclesall Road history as a team of security guards arrived to check out the place in advance of the star’s arrival.

Maurizio Mori said: “We were told Sylvester Stallone was partial to meatballs so we created a special menu for him in superfast time.”

Stallone’s promoter Rocco Buonvino was one of the first visitors to the newly-refurbished Nonna’s earlier in the day and recommended it to the star.

Maurizio added: “He couldn’t have been a nicer and more down to earth guest. He sat at our new Captain’s Table and smoked a Toscano Antico cigar from the private collection of legendary Sheffield restaurateur Moreno Mori, my dad.”